SRI BRIHADEESHWARA TEMPLE,Thanjavur 
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The Glory of Thanjavur is the 66.5 m high 'Srivimana' of the Brihadeeshwara temple. The Granite monolith which forms a cupola on the top weighs 81.3 tones. the stone was placed on the top in same fashion as done in the case of Egyptian pyramids. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and only Hindus are allowed inside. At the entrance is one of the largest Nandi bulls in India. The gateways are guarded by the stone carved elephants. The richly carved walls and pillars of the temple derives inspiration from not only Shaivism but also from Vaishnavite and Buddhist themes. There are all together 250 Shiva lings in the temple. The fresco work in the temple was done during the Chola period and the technique used is very much similar to those done in Europe. This temples reflects architectural prowess of the Chola dynasty. The temple was built by Cholla king Raja Raja. The temple comes under the world heritage listing. The temple has maintained its glory for thousands of years now. The temple also has an Archaeological museum and it has a good collection of Photographs and models showing how the temple looked before the restoration work was carried out.


